Speaking exams

The whole GCSE and IGCSE speaking test, task by task (AQA and Edexcel at Foundation and Higher; Edexcel International and Cambridge IGCSE for every candidate), and the IB individual oral at SL and HL. Pupils speak to an AI voice on a phone or laptop, and each task is marked against the board's own criteria. The marks are a guide, not an exam mark: you read what each pupil said and can change any mark.

AQA

AQA 8652 French · 8692 Spanish, Paper 2 Speaking

• Task 1: Role-play (10 marks). A card in English, five tasks with a friend (an AI voice), one of them a question to ask. Foundation: All five in the present. Higher: One task in another time frame.
• Task 2: Reading aloud (15 marks). Read a short text aloud, scored word by word, then four questions on its topic. Foundation: At least 35 words. Higher: At least 50 words.
• Task 3: Photo card (25 marks). Talk about two photos, saying at least one thing about each, then a conversation on the theme. Foundation: Eight conversation questions. Higher: Ten conversation questions.

Pearson Edexcel

Pearson Edexcel 1FR1 French · 1SP1 Spanish, Paper 1 Speaking · 7–9 minutes (Foundation) or 10–12 (Higher), after 15 minutes' preparation

• Task 1: Read aloud (12 marks). Read a short text aloud, scored word by word, then two questions on it. Foundation: About 35 words · 1½–2 minutes. Higher: About 50 words · 2–2½ minutes.
• Task 2: Role play (10 marks). A card in English; the teacher (an AI voice) plays a role and speaks first. Five prompts. Foundation: One question to ask · 1–1½ minutes. Higher: Two questions to ask · 1–1½ minutes.
• Task 3: Picture task (28 marks). Choose one of two pictures and describe it, answer two questions on it, then a conversation. Foundation: Conversation 3–3½ minutes. Higher: Conversation 5–5½ minutes.

Edexcel International

Pearson Edexcel International GCSE French 4FR1, Paper 3 Speaking · 8–10 minutes · one test for every candidate

• Paper 3: The speaking test (40 marks). Task A, a picture-based discussion: five questions on a photo with people, objects and interactions on the unit's theme. Then Tasks B and C, two conversations of five questions on the topic areas Pearson's randomisation grid gives, eliciting past, present and future, opinions and reasons. All candidates: Picture, then two conversations · out of 40.

Cambridge IGCSE

Cambridge IGCSE French 0520 and Spanish 0530, Paper 3 Speaking · about 10 minutes, after 10 minutes' preparation · one test for every candidate

• Paper 3: The speaking test (40 marks). A candidate card and 10 minutes to prepare, then a role play (five questions, 2 marks each) and two topic conversations of about 4 minutes each: one on Topic Area A or B, one on C, D or E, with the alternative questions Cambridge's script allows. All candidates: Role play, then two topic conversations · out of 40.

IB DP French B

IB Diploma Programme Language B, the individual oral · 12–15 minutes, after 15 minutes' preparation (SL) or 20 (HL)

• Standard level: Individual oral (30 marks). A photo with a caption on the unit's theme: the pupil prepares, presents it, answers questions on it, then a general conversation on another theme. Standard level: Photo, discussion, then another theme · 15 minutes' preparation.
• Higher level: General conversation (24 marks). Eight questions from the unit, copied from its slides. The literary extract (B1, 6 marks) stays in class: you type its mark in the Markbook for the oral out of 30. Higher level: Eight questions · A, B2 and C out of 24.

How it works

1. 1. Set it for a class, or play it in the lesson Choose a unit; each card is written from that unit's language in the board's format. Set one task or the whole test as homework.
2. 2. Pupils speak to an AI voice The voice plays the teacher. What pupils say is turned into text, and a reading is scored word by word; the recordings are never kept.
3. 3. Marked against the mark scheme An AI marks each task with the board's own grids. You see the marks, the reasons and what was said, and can change any of it.

• Every task follows the board's sample assessment materials: the order, the instructions, the timings and the marks.
• Speech-to-text can't hear pronunciation in answers, and may tidy small slips; only the read-aloud text is scored for pronunciation.
• In the exam the conversation follows on from what the pupil says; here its questions are set in advance.
• Not produced or endorsed by AQA, Pearson, Cambridge or the IB. Photos from Unsplash.